FBI Arrests OpenAI Engineer Over Recording Device Planted in Office
US prosecutors say the employee planted a concealed recording device in an executive conference room where sensitive research and strategy were discussed.
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US federal authorities have charged an OpenAI engineer with secretly installing an audio recorder in an executive conference room at the company’s San Francisco offices.
Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national, was arrested on October 9 and appeared in federal court October 13. He had worked as an OpenAI engineer since July 2025, prosecutors said.
OpenAI personnel found the device on September 30, inserted into a USB port behind a television in an executive conference room.
The company determined it had been installed around September 28. Prosecutors said it was concealed in toilet paper and contained encrypted data.
Prosecutors said meetings in the room regularly involved confidential technical and commercial discussions, including proprietary research, product plans, government engagements and nonpublic information about OpenAI’s capabilities and strategy.
The complaint alleges that Alfozan had appeared near the room several times despite lacking authorization to participate in meetings there.
Investigators also said he had used a productivity tool to search for information about OpenAI buildings, meeting-room calendars, capacities and the locations of executive and outside-partner meetings.
A chatbot account associated with Alfozan’s spouse also submitted prompts about building, disguising and remotely accessing recording equipment, according to the complaint.
Prosecutors said the account later queried details matching the device found at OpenAI.
On October 5, company security personnel found a second similar recording device in Alfozan’s bag along with his identification, the Justice Department said.
OpenAI separately said it had terminated the employee and had found no indication that model weights, source code or customer data had been improperly accessed or removed, according to Reuters.
Alfozan is charged with using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications. If convicted, he faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
The FBI investigation is continuing. Prosecutors said the charge is an allegation and that Alfozan is presumed innocent.
